And So It Ends...

Day 105

My fairy tale of a semester is coming to its end. 

Today, our last full day in Rome, we decided to do the only thing that was left to be done: have a tour of all the best gelato places in Rome.  So began the Gelato World Tour 2013.  It was perfect.  Walking around the city, hitting up all the best gelato and other dessert places, and revisiting all the sites.

Our tour lasted until dinner time and we revisited one of Romes most famous, though unconventional pizza places, Dar Poeta.  My pizza was delicious, and sharing a meal with a big group of friends while sitting outside, was the perfect last dinner.  Then we washed it down with another cup of gelato (because we could).

Then it was to the orange grove (I hesitate to call it our orange grove, because we lived there as much as we lived at the convent).  We saw our last sunset in Rome, and were pleased to find that the guards decided to forget their duty to lock it up at 9 so we were free to stay as long as we liked.

Now, while I still have most of tomorrow to look forward to, most of my friends are leaving in the wee hours of the morning. So  we resolved to stay up all night and leave sleep for when we're dead (or at least until we have nothing better to do, like on our flights home.)  To that end, we decided to hit up the one gelato place we didn't make it to during the day, San Crispino, which just so happens to be right next to the Trevi Fountain.  We got there at midnight and spent the next hour tossing coins in, taking pictures, and enjoying life in Rome.

When we got back to the convent, sometime around 2am, we decided that, since Rome is a city of fountains, we couldn't leave the city without swimming in one.  We decided on the fountain next to the orange grove (because unlike the Trevi, police aren't watching it 24/7).  We had a quick dip in this bathtub, then went back to the convent to drink wine out on the patio.

At 4am, the first of my friends said their goodbyes and took off for the airport.  At this point I realized that I too might actually have to leave and went back to my room to start packing.  My room was a disaster up to this point and anyone looking at it would never guess that I had to clear out within the next 6 hours (we were supposed to be out of our rooms by 10am).  And here I am, having said goodbye to so many amzing friends I have made this semester.  Its okay though.  I'm already planning a summer reunion for the California kids, a fall reunion for all those going to school in New England, and a 10 year reunion in Rome to be held in the villa I'm going to co-own with Shruti in Pigneto.

Ciao,
J